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Sir Ben Ainslie is angry again. We know what this has meant to his rivals over the years, although it took more than a few curse words to tip the scales in the America's Cup final in Britain's favor.
Trailing 3-0 to Emirates Team New Zealand, Ainslie and his crew on the Ineos Britannia came closer to a whitewash than returning to a series-best 13 wins on the second day of racing.
As a snapshot of the frustration building in Ainslie's mind, watch the exchange he had with the commentator immediately after their heaviest loss to date off the coast of Barcelona.
Ainslie was still at the wheel of his 75-meter yacht when one of the experts on the official broadcast, New Zealander Stephen McIvor, asked if he still felt his team was close to their opponents in terms of performance because “don't” Don't get that feeling , getting off the boat.”
At first the four-time Olympic champion just bristled slightly and said: “Maybe that's the Kiwi commentator in you, mate.”
Sir Ben Ainslie and his crew on the Ineos Britannia came closer to a whitewash than a comeback
Ainslie watched his team lose 3-0 to New Zealand and hit out at the Kiwi commentator
But then, with the microphone still on, Ainslie was heard muttering: “F**k f***.”
Such was the feeling on the waterfront that McIvor's inquiry was somewhat misinterpreted as a taunt. The Britannia captain was in no mood to back down, however, adding later in the press conference: “That was a stupid comment from a Kiwi commentator. I think it's good for our team. I think it's good motivation.
He then made it clear that he knew his microphone was still working, so perhaps this was a familiar case of the 47-year-old trying to gain access to higher gears through rage. This has certainly been the theme of his illustrious career, especially in London in 2012, when he delivered his now famous speech: “They've made me angry and you don't want to make me angry.”
This marked the beginning of one of his many great comebacks, but it's doubtful that his bickering with commentators will have such a profound impact here. Indeed, it was another race that only highlighted the superiority of Pete Burling's New Zealand crew in the first half of their run.
The key moment came before the start. As in Saturday's opening race, when the British boat's on-board battery 'melted', the Britannia was in trouble even before it crossed the line, this time due to a penalty imposed on Ainslie over the phone for failing to give way when the yachts came within inches of colliding .
Ainslie's team now need a remarkable comeback to keep their America's Cup hopes alive
It was thrilling to watch what was a near miss, and Burling set a trap for Ainslie and ensnared him. After a 75-meter penalty was imposed, New Zealand's covering tactics did the rest and claimed a strong 52-second victory.
At one point the defending champions were a full 700m ahead, thanks to smoother maneuvers and a visible boat speed advantage when sailing upwind in the light air that dominated the first two days.
Britain's ambitions may now be based on the forecast of stronger winds later in the week, which are seen as more suitable for their yacht.
Ainslie, for whom the decisive penalty incident was a 50-50 decision, is now planning a fresh start for his team, starting with the fourth race rescheduled for Monday after Sunday's second leg was postponed due to light winds.
He said: “I think it's probably time for a little bit of a reset in terms of our approach to how we've sailed, how we approach racing and how we try to find better performance in the boat. Once again, I am confident that we can do this.
We always knew going into this match it would be difficult. This is the final fight and it has been proven.
